Hawke: Christmas in Paradise (Billionaire Boys Club)

by Ellie Masters

  “Oh, didn’t I mention?”

  “Mention what?”

  “I’m not denying myself any orgasms. That’s part of the punishment.” He points to the floor. “On your knees and open that pretty mouth of yours.”

  I stare at him, knowing if I do this, I accept the shifting of power between us, but the thing is—his dominance is sexy as hell. I’ll forgo one orgasm because I know he’s capable of delivering on his promise. Hawke Sterling may control what happens next, but he’s a generous lover and likes making me come. I go to my knees, accepting his terms.

  “You’re fucking beautiful like this. Do you know what it does to me? Your eyes all big and wide. Your lips waiting to take my cock.” Desire drips from his lips. He grabs his cock, fisting it with a low moan. “Open your mouth.”

  I do as I’m told, and he feeds me his cock one slow inch at a time. I savor the taste of him, the feel as he fills my mouth. He pulls out, then slowly slides back in with a shuddering breath.

  “Look at me while you suck my cock. Watch what you do to me.”

  I moan, sucking him as he pushes further inside. In and out, he takes his time, slowly fucking my mouth. I can’t get enough of the expressions on his face as his desire builds and he slowly loses control. He reaches down and cups my cheek.

  “I’m getting close.” His body clenches. “Fuck, I’m going to lose it.”

  I still, obsessed over watching him take his pleasure. There’s something insanely riveting about the raw desire etched in his chiseled face. He wants me to watch him come undone, and I do exactly that.

  I watch the hitch in his breathing. The way he draws his lower lip in as his pleasure builds. I see the muscles of his abdomen tighten, then ripple as the first waves of his orgasm hit him. I watch him tremble as he comes. The whole time, his golden eyes lock onto mine.

  “You’re fucking incredible.” He pulls me up and holds me tight. He takes my jaw and kisses me, long and languid, reverent even. No words are spoken for the longest time.

  Desire coils in my belly, a pang of pleasure so strong that I moan.

  “Hawke, are you really going to make me wait?”

  “Absolutely.” His grin is panty-melting hot, and I realize he’s serious about being in control.

  “And while you’re concluding your business for the day, what am I supposed to do?”

  “Ache for me.” He presses a button on the control panel, and we’re in motion again. As we climb the floors, he puts himself back together, even sliding the belt back through the loops of his pants. He gives another one of his smirks and leans down to whisper in my ear. “One more thing, no touching what’s mine.” He gives a squeeze of my ass before ushering me out of the elevator.

  With his hand on the small of my back, he escorts me through a maze of hallways until finally winding up at a large corner office. A receptionist sits at a desk outside.

  “Jenny, Miss Hayes will wait for me in my office. Please see to it if she needs anything.”

  “Of course, Mr. Sterling.” Jenny’s focus shifts to me. In one look, she takes in everything and understands what I am. “If you need anything, Miss Hayes, please let me know.”

  Hawke opens the door to a jaw-dropping gorgeous corner office and gives a grand flourish. “Please, make yourself comfortable.”

  The low, needy ache between my legs is not letting up, and I bite my lower lip with frustration.

  “How long will you be gone?”

  “We finish at four thirty. After that, I’ll be back. We’ll fool around a bit…” His eyes spark with mischief. “Then it’s dinner. More fooling around. Drinks. More…”

  I laugh. “I get it. More fooling around.”

  “At least once an hour until we ring in the new year.”

  “Once an hour?” I cross my arms and give him a look. “Yet you’re leaving me alone for two hours. What am I to do?”

  He shows me how to work the large-screen TV and hooks me into his streaming channels.

  “I expect you to wait for me. I promise; it’ll be worth it.”

  I don’t doubt him at all. With a kiss, he excuses himself and promises to be back soon. I settle into one of the plush couches, determined to make the time pass quickly, and pull up a book to read on my phone.

  An hour passes, and I get up to stretch, moving to look out over the city through the floor-to-ceiling plate glass windows. The view is spectacular. I rub at my arms and close my eyes. Tonight will bring the end to a tumultuous year. MindScapeVR might finally see itself launched into the world. With my brothers’ backing and Hawke funding the rest, I can’t believe there may actually be a light at the end of the tunnel. As for Hawke, I sense a change in him. I’m hopeful we have a future together, something which promises to be more permanent. It’s too early to head down that path, but he definitely is interested in getting to know me better.

  The door creaks behind me, and I twirl with a smile on my face. If Hawke’s back…

  His mother stands in the doorway; her hawkish gaze rakes me from head to toe.

  “I heard you returned.” She sounds less than enthused. “You’re not his usual type. Word of advice, don’t get too used to being around. My son tends to be a little flighty when it comes to women. Enjoy it while it lasts, darling, eventually he’ll tire of you.”

  “I think he’ll be the judge of that.” The woman terrifies me. There’s something wrong with her, like she’s rotten all the way to her core.

  “Right. He most definitely will. You’ve known him for a handful of days, whereas I’ve known him his entire life. We’ll see which one of us is right in the end.”

  I glance over her shoulder, hoping Hawke will be back soon. She holds a folder in her hands and taps it against her thigh.

  “My son is not for you.” She says it as if it’s a royal decree, like her word matters. “Here.” She thrusts the manila folder at me.

  “What’s that?”

  “An offer. One you’ll be foolish to refuse.”

  “I think I’ll pass.” There’s something about this woman I don’t trust.

  “Five million is a lot to turn your back on.”

  This is the offer Hawke mentioned. My back bristles with indignation.

  “I’m sorry, but I’m not interested.”

  Her eyes narrow. “I see he’s told you. What exactly do you think you’re going to do? Scrounge up what you need on your own?”

  “I believe in my idea and my company.” I don’t tell her that Hawke promised to put up what we need, or that he’s agreed to help our launch. I sense this isn’t something he wants shared.

  “Well, don’t think for a minute you’ll get your hands on Sterling money, or my son.”

  “That’s really none of your concern.”

  “As he’s my son, it’s very much my concern, not that it’ll matter after tonight.”

  “And what does that mean?”

  “Hasn’t he told you?” She cocks her head, and a predatory gleam shines in her eyes. “I suppose not. Whatever it is you think you have with him, he’s only stringing you along. My son is announcing his engagement tonight. I wonder if he told you that while you were on your knees.”

  She points to the large-screen television. No, she’s not pointing. There’s a remote in her hand. “There’s nothing that happens in this building I don’t know about.” It’s a video of Hawke and me in the elevator, of me going to my knees. I watch in horror as Hawke stares down at me while I take him in my mouth. “I have a feeling that could be quite damaging for a company launch.”

  “Why do you hate him so much?”

  “Hate is a vulgar word.” She points to the recording. “Leave, and this recording will be erased. Stay and…”

  “Mother!” Hawke’s shout fills the room. He gives one look at the video then turns to his mother. His eyes widen with fury. The expression on his face is murderous, and I shrink back from it. Only his anger is not directed at me.

  “Miss Hayes and I were just having a conver
sation.” She dismisses him.

  “This doesn’t look like a conversation.”

  “I’m simply explaining a few things, like your engagement announcement. Miss Hayes, remove yourself from my building and stay away from my son.”

  “I’ll do no such thing.” I roll my shoulders back. It’s the hardest thing I’ve had to do in a very long time, but I won’t let this woman talk down to me.

  “Oh, I think you will.” Her thin lips spread into a serene smile. She pulls out her phone and lifts it to her ear. “Sissy?”

  Hawke lunges for the phone and rips it out of his mother’s hand.

  “Cherise? Cherise, where are you?” He clutches desperately at the phone while a triumphant expression fills his mother’s face. He stares at the phone, and it’s clear no one’s on the other end.

  “I wonder what Miss Hayes will think when she realizes her true worth.” His mother crooks her fingers demanding Hawke return her phone. He slaps it into her palm with a murderous expression.

  “Mother, you’re despicable.”

  “Hawke, what’s going on?” A bad feeling stirs in my gut.

  “My terms,” she says with a sneer. “Cut ties with this blue-blooded hussy, and Cherise is yours. Refuse me and—well, I don’t need to specify what will happen, do I?”

  The color drains from his face, defeat pulls at his expression, and his shoulders slump. Hawke runs his fingers through his hair, and then he turns around, placing his back to me.

  “I’m sorry, Quinn. I’m so sorry. You need to leave.”

  The victorious gleam in his mother’s eyes makes me swallow what I want to say. Whoever Cherise is, Hawke chooses her over me. I suppose I really am just an easy fuck, something to pass the time.

  I don’t stick around. If he’s not going to fight for me, then why should I fight for him? I grab my purse and leave without saying goodbye. Outside his office, two burly security guards fall in step behind me. They follow me to the elevators, push the down button, then crowd inside the elevator with me when it arrives. One of them jabs the button for the lobby, and we descend in complete silence. They walk me to the door and hold it open as I exit the building.

  I hold it in for the time it takes me to walk one city block. By then, my brothers have turned around. They pick me up and say nothing as I squeeze in between Brett and Ian in the back seat. No words are spoken as they bracket me inside the back booth at Dale’s Ice-cream Parlor. We devour the family-sized banana split in silence.

  My brothers bolster me through it all. Instead of taking me to our parents, they drop me off with Steven at his house. The moment I cross over the threshold, the tears fall.

  It takes two weeks for them to stop.

  Thirty-Five

  Hawke

  I never really understood true hatred until the moment Mother forces me to choose between the only two women I’ve ever loved. My plans for Cherise will take time, time I don’t have. Not when Mother forces me to make an impossible choice on the spot.

  Not two hours earlier, I promised Quinn’s brothers I would never hurt her. Yet here I am, breaking Quinn’s heart. She didn’t even say goodbye.

  Now, she’s gone.

  “Good riddance.” Mother wipes her hands as if she’s brushing Quinn out of my life for good.

  “Why?” I run a hand through my hair, stunned by what happened. “You didn’t need to run her off. I love her.”

  “That’s what I was afraid of.”

  “You want me to marry.” I point at the door, knowing I should never reveal vulnerability to my mother. My happiness is her greatest weapon, and she’s an expert at taking it away. “That’s the woman I want to marry.” Hell, I can’t believe those words came out of my mouth, but they have the weight of truth to them. Whatever this thing is with Quinn, my future is nothing without her in it.

  “That little blue-collar hussy is not fit to be a Sterling.” She gives a dismissive snort. “You’ve known her for all of what? A few days? Be thankful I allowed you the dalliance at all. Now, as for marriage, it’s been settled.”

  “Settled?” The floor shifts under my feet. I feel like I need to reach out to steady myself, but I refuse to show Mother she’s got my undivided attention. “What the fuck does settled mean?”

  “I finalized everything yesterday.”

  “Finalized?” It’s like I’m in an alternate dimension where my life is not mine to control. She’s a master manipulator, but she’s never done something like this. I want to throttle her bony throat. If I get too close, I will. The anger seething inside of me is going to boil over any minute. And each minute takes Quinn farther away.

  I need to be going after her, explaining what’s going on, not standing here being lectured by a monster. Mother’s using Cherise to blackmail me into doing what she wants.

  “How can you finalize anything without my input?” I stare at her, while barely holding my temper. My fingers curl, movement she catches. Her gaze cuts to my fists and she shakes her head.

  “Not to be crass, but men tend to think with their dicks instead of their heads. Or let anger rule their actions. I’ve arranged for you to marry Candace Yarbrough—”

  “No.” Heat fills my face. “I will not marry that conniving bitch. She’s been trying to get her hooks into me since high school.”

  Candace was my first mistake. We dated in high school. As loose as they come, she fucked anyone with a sizable bank account who offered the slightest chance for her to climb the social ladder. She set her ambitious sights on me, and I fell for it, hook, line, and sinker. She was the first to show me the lengths a woman would go to if it meant landing me as her prize.

  Cue prom night and the pregnancy scare which followed. Candace tried to rush an engagement before the baby started showing. I dug in my heels and demanded proof the kid was mine. Turns out, there was no kid, just a crazy bitch who nearly cost me everything. Needless to say, Mother was not pleased with the whole situation.

  As for my mistake, it wasn’t taking Candace to prom. Nor was it the whole fake-baby thing which followed. Candace is good in bed, kinky as fuck, and the perfect thing to scratch an itch whenever I felt the need. My mistake is that I continued to fuck Candace as it suits me, and she suits—suited—me well for many years. Several times each year, generally when I found myself between entanglements with other women, I called her up and we fucked each other senseless.

  That’s my biggest mistake.

  “Why Candace? Out of your eligible socialites, why her?”

  “Why not? The Yarbrough’s are a respectable family. You and Candace seem to get together with some frequency.” Her sneer tells me she knows exactly what Candace and I do when we’re together. “Besides, Tom Yarbrough is offering a sizable donation to my favorite charity.”

  “He’s paying to have me take his daughter off his hands?”

  “Don’t be crass.”

  “Candace and I get together to fuck, Mother. She fucks a lot of men. I mean as little to her as she does to me. I have no doubt her father is willing to pay to unload his daughter. I’m more than a little surprised you’d attach her to the Sterling name.”

  “Times are much more forgiving than when I was young. You’re a playboy, always with some nameless woman hanging from your arm—filling your bed_yet it doesn’t stain your reputation. She’s a young woman not afraid to embrace her sexuality. You’ve both been playing the field, but it’s time to settle down.”

  “So, you’ve already thought about the lies we’ll tell?” I can’t believe my mother’s gall.

  “Candace is eager to start a family. Once word of my illness gets out, people will understand how eager you are to provide me a grandson before I die. It’s a good match.”

  It’s a total shit show. The lump in my throat only grows heavier. I know my mother. I know what she’s capable of, but I’m not ready to give in to her demands.

  “She’s eager to get her hands on our money. That alone makes her ineligible.”

  Maybe if
I can buy some time, I’ll have a chance to fix things with Quinn to the point where she might consider rushing into marriage with me. The only problem is Quinn is a thinker. She doesn’t rush into anything. Not like me. When I know, I know. My gut never steers me wrong, and it’s telling me Quinn is the woman I’m meant to spend my life with.

  “There will be a prenup, of course. It’s been decided and signed. Once she provides a male heir—”

  “I don’t even want to know what you’ve put into the provisions of the prenup.” Knowing Mother, there are clauses in there which specify minimum copulation frequencies. “When did you have time to barter away your son’s happiness? Seems like you should be the one up on stage proposing instead of me. Hell, you don’t need me there at all.”

  Not to mention I need to go after Quinn and explain what happened.

  “There are certain things you’re needed for, and you’ll perform your duties as required. Those are specified in the prenup.” And that confirms exactly what I suspected. Marital coital frequency is written in like a line number to ensure this grandson she won’t live to see.

  “Like a thoroughbred stud?”

  “If that’s how you want to see it. At least we know it won’t be a hardship. Candace assures me you’re an excellent lover.”

  “You discussed my sex life with her? Is there any part of my life which is my own?”

  “Of course, you can always refuse, but doing that has certain repercussions.”

  And now we get down to the heart of the matter.

  “Where’s Cherise?”

  “Safe and out of your reach until I’m satisfied you’re holding up your end of the arrangement.”

  “You’ll be dead before any kid is born. That’s not good enough. And how will you know if I am? Holding up my end as it were?”

  I hate using her illness as a weapon, but her last act in this world is to consign me to a loveless marriage with a woman I barely tolerate. Mother doesn’t even flinch. Her cold eyes stare at me, unblinking, and hard as stone.